NY-MERCER

Mercer, a global consulting leader in advancing health, wealth and
careers, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies
(NYSE:MMC), today announced the launch of “Bold
Ideas for Mending the Long Term Savings Gap,”
which
addresses ways to improve the $70 trillion global retirement savings
deficit. These ideas are part of Mercer’s ongoing commitment to
exploring ways of improving financial security for individuals.

Through four main themes, Mercer explores innovative responses to what
Jacques Goulet, President of Health and Wealth, Mercer refers to as,
“one of the greatest crises of our time, for which there is no silver
bullet.” Mr. Goulet believes that the issue of financial security is not
just about retirement but instead about broader financial wellness
concerns that plague individuals at varied life stages. These financial
concerns undermine social and employment productivity, challenging
people to think differently.

“We do not believe that this is merely a ‘retirement savings matter.’
The retirement savings gap is part of the significant financial security
issue that is chipping away at productivity and putting individuals into
periods of financial instability,” said Mr. Goulet. “Helping to find
solutions to this problem goes to the core of our mission at Mercer, our
offerings and our extensive research and data in this area.”

According to Mr. Goulet, financially secure individuals are confidently
able to set and achieve financial goals for themselves and their
households, to support their dependents, to enjoy a desired quality of
life, and to cover emergencies, without worrying about whether their
future income is enough to cover expenses or to sustain retirement.

Through “Bold Ideas,” Mercer outlines the importance of multiple
stakeholders coming together to take meaningful action against the
savings deficit. Stakeholders include governments, employers, and
financial intermediaries, all of whom have the incentive and the ability
to help mend the long-term savings gap. Each group also stands to
benefit by helping to ensure that their citizens, employees, and
customers are able to save efficiently and appropriately for the future.

The paper details the main challenges causing the long term savings gap,
including:

Mercer has an ongoing mission to advance global financial security
through strategic relationships with world renowned organizations like
the World Economic Forum. Mercer is the lead collaborator on the World
Economic Forum’s Retirement and Investment Systems Reform Project.
In partnership with the Forum, Mr. Goulet has presented research
findings to global leaders on the current state of global retirement
systems and the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Additionally, Mercer has a wide array of offerings aimed at resolving
financial wellbeing challenges including the Mercer
Financial Wellness and Harmonise™
platforms, among other solutions.

“Success will require bold and immediate action. Given the current size
of the retirement gap, all relevant stakeholders need to act now,” said
Renee McGowan, Global Head of Individual Retirement Solutions and
Financial Wellness, Mercer. “Public and private sector individuals need
to work together to create a cultural revolution that engages
individuals in saving for the long-term, shifting the concept of
‘saving’ from a financial services experience into a consumer one.
People need to understand what ‘good’ looks like when it comes to
savings products, advice, and decisions. But they also need to have the
confidence to act on their knowledge to achieve the best outcomes.”

Mercer is a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement and
investments. Mercer helps clients around the world advance the health,
wealth and careers of their most vital asset – their people. Mercer’s
more than 20,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm
operates in over 140 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh
& McLennan Companies
(NYSE: MMC), a global professional services
firm offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk,
strategy and people. With annual revenue of $13 billion and 60,000
colleagues worldwide, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent
company of Marsh
,
a leader in insurance broking and risk management; Guy
Carpenter
, a leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary
services; and Oliver
Wyman
, a leader in management consulting. For more information,
visit www.mercer.com
.
Follow Mercer on Twitter @Mercer
.

Important Notices

References to Mercer shall be construed to include Mercer LLC and/or its
associated companies.